Jerome Bettis took a pounding in 13 NFL seasons for the Rams and Steelers. Along the way, Bettis won a Super Bowl, made six Pro Bowls and became the NFL's sixth-leading rusher of all time. And he learned a lot.

Bettis now sees many things clearer than he did during his NFL career. He has the experience that a rookie like Jamal Adams of the Jets does not. Adams said he would be willing to give his life in uniform.

"The last thing you want to do is die on the football field," Bettis says. "You've got a lot of life ahead of you. You want to play with your children. You want to be at your daughter's wedding."

Understanding that the NFL community now knows about CTE and other long-term effects of playing football, Bettis advises more players follow the guidance of doctors during their careers. 

He spoke to ThePostGame on behalf of Stryker, which featured Bettis in its "Road Trip to a Healthier Lifestyle" with Fred Funk. In the three-part series, Bettis and Funk traveled to Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth and New York City, finding various ways to exercise despite both being past their athletic primes.
